Good Food to Grow With
Summer break was finally here, and for Anne’s two sons, Jason and Alex, that meant freedom from homework, more time with friends, and new adventures. For Anne, however, the end of school brought uncertainty and anxiety.
As a working single mother of two, money had always been tight for Anne. As the cost of living drastically increased post-pandemic, having growing boys about to enter their teenage years meant that her family’s budget, especially for food, was getting tighter every month.
When school let out at the end of June, the supports that had offered Anne a welcome reprieve during the school year suddenly stopped.
“When the boys are in school, they use the school meal programs, and that makes things a little easier on my budget,” she said. “Now that school is out for the summer, I didn’t know how I was going to keep them fed.”
Anne turned to Mission Services’ Good Food Centre for grocery assistance. A market-style food bank, the Good Food Centre is open three mornings per week, and offers support to nearly 2,000 families per month.
“Being able to visit the Good Food Centre has been such a blessing. Rather than just being handed a bag of food, I’m actually able to choose what I get to take home for myself and the boys,” she said.
As growing, nearly teenage boys, Jason and Alex are starting to eat more, but can still be picky about what they eat from time-to-time.
“If Mom was coming home with just broccoli or chick peas, I don’t think I’d like that very much,” said Jason, age 12. “Thankfully she gets good food that we actually enjoy eating.”
Alex, age 11, echoed his statement, grateful for the grocery support over the lean summer months.
“We weren’t sure what we were going to do for food this summer, but now Mom can make this chicken dish that I really like, so that’s good,” he said.
Of the over 6,000 individuals that receive food from Mission Services’ Good Food Centre each month, 41% of them are under the age of 18.
“Having access to proper food and nutrition is so important, especially during those developing years,” said Jim, Associate Director of Food Services. “When school meals are unavailable during the summer, we have to be ready to step up and fill that gap to make sure that kids don’t go hungry.”
You can help make sure kids in our community have food during the summer. Visit mission-services.com/donate or call 905-528-4211 ext. 3113 to make a difference today!
